CHARLESTON, SC (AP) – A county in South Carolina is checking some bins for recycling to ensure that nothing that cannot be easily recycled is inside.
Charleston County said that as of this month workers are looking inside random cans to see if they have items that are not accepted by the county’s recycling program, such as plastic bags, styrofoam, wood, concrete, cables and ropes.
Wrong items can damage equipment used to separate recyclable materials and cost workers time to remove them in advance, the county said in a statement.
Dumpsters with inappropriate items will have a label placed on them with information about what can be recycled, such as glass bottles and jars, aluminum and steel cans, plastic bottles and flattened cardboard boxes, officials said.
The crackdown coincides with the inauguration of Charleston County’s new classifier and recycling facility.
Richland County has a similar educational program for residents who try to recycle the wrong items.